While we should collectively focus on creating a gender equal world, shouldn’t we also look at maintaining an inner balance within ourselves and everything around us. How is this related to how we perceive the masculine and feminine?
Today, the 8th of March is International Women’s Day. It is a day dedicated to honouring the achievements and contribution of women throughout history and across the globe today. This year’s theme #EachforEqual is meant to be a shared goal throughout 2020. The more we think about it, whilst we collectively focus on creating a gender equal world, we should also look at maintaining an inner balance within ourselves and everything around us.
This would have a positive spiralling impact on how we perceive, treat and accept others, be it women or men. How is this related to how we perceive the masculine and feminine?
The inner balance – Perfect vs Unique
We all have feminine and masculine qualities in each one of us. This is not about being a man or woman, but something much more intrinsic within us. For centuries in the past, the world has evolved around the masculine aspects – the traits of doing and achieving. But lately, the world has been moving towards a more feminine aspect – the traits of being and receiving.
We all contain varying degrees of both and we all tend to lean more towards one end of the spectrum than the other.
Having a natural dominance of one aspect is normal for many of us. A perfect balance of both these aspects may not be attainable at all times. Our unique combination can differ during different stages of our lives or depending on the situation and who we are interacting with. That said, having an extreme imbalance is not healthy and can negatively affect how we lead our lives. It also affects how we conduct our life with respect to the environment and the larger outside world as we see today.
Tapping into the hidden power of the feminine
As the world is balancing the scales, many men and women who were used to connecting with their masculine aspects alone, realize the hidden power of the feminine. The way we see it is, as something that can make us whole again and more connected to ourselves and the world. Can we tap into the power of the feminine? Can we become more intuitive and creative, perceptive and compassionate, have an ability to heal ourselves and flow with ease in life? Can we still keep doing things in the outside world without denying this balance.
We can perhaps, if we start with first understanding which aspect leads us as individuals and which we might be denying? Also, which aspect is overly nurtured to the disadvantage of the other?
Firstly, we need to identify which traits of these two aspects we contain within ourselves and to what extent. Secondly, make a list of the traits that resonate with us and a list of those we recognize as something we would like to express more of.
Once we identify and express them, the next step is to know how to go about it? To start with, we may need to identify our unique combination of tools that would help us, depending on what is our priority. If being a doer is a natural trait, but one gets overworked, stressed, or develops health issues, then it is time to slow down and pause at intervals. If the relationships we have with people and environment are also adversely affected, then again it is time to reconsider our choices in life.
When the mind has a will of its own, the mantra we can follow is, ‘listen to the body’ as it never lies. If life has become all work and no play, then we can bring in creative elements into the little things we do in life. There is neither a hard and fast rule nor a one fix one solution.
#EachforEqual : Reclaiming the feminine
We all need both aspects to thrive and flourish. Creativity and productivity, intuition and logic, confidence and heartfelt nurturing. A readdressing and balancing of the masculine and feminine is vital for us as individuals and for all humanity, going forward. So this International Women’s day, let #EachforEqual be not just about gender equality but also about celebrating the feminine within and around us. So that, in the pursuit of the former, the feminine aspects do not get denigrated, ignored or undermined. We can achieve wholeness and the necessary balance, by integrating these aspects in our lives. If we change fundamentally the way we are, how we perceive, treat and accept others, be it women or men, would change.
Image credits : Manisha Raju
